wiredInUSA December 2017

Cable joint monitor A product developed by EA Technology in collaboration with UK Power Networks has been nominated for the prestigious IET innovation award. Called the Cable Canary, the device helps predict cable joint failure and so potentially prevent power outages and reduce the risk of injury within substations. A research program within UK Power Networks developed into a collaborative partnership between the electricity distribution company and EA Technology to develop the Cable Canary technology. The monitoring device uses an advanced radio frequency current transformer (RFCT) and a unique algorithm that discriminates against noise sources and signals from remote partial discharge activity that could otherwise result in false alarms. The Cable Canary can be rapidly installed in a substation without any disruption to electricity supply. As part of UK Power Networks’ project, Cable Canary prototypes were installed within London substations. During the trial, a cable joint with degradation was identified at a critical location before a dangerous failure could occur.

CableCanary identifiedhigh levels of partial discharge activity within a high voltage transitional joint. Further investigation showed degradation that could have led to a failure. “This shows the potential benefits of the technology to the electricity industry and to commercial organizations with power networks.” Category 7 additions Lapp has introduced five new variants of its Etherline Profinet Category 7 range. For fixed installation, the cable affixed with a “Y” is flame-retardant with a PVC sheath; it can be halogen-free and flame-retardant with an FRNC sheath, or have a more mechanically robust PUR sheath. There are also two variants for flexible installation (affixed “Flex”) with a flame- retardant PVC sheath or with a halogen- free and flame-retardant FRNC sheath. The new cables are suitable for use in machines and plants or for network infrastructure where large amounts of data are transferred, for example from high resolution cameras. The new profinet cables have a data rate of 10GB. Cables compliant with Category 6A also achieve comparable speeds, but Category 7 cables work at a significantly

Anne McIntosh, director of HV5-9s, EA Technology, said: “During field trials the

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wiredInUSA - December 2017